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The following statement was issued jointly by the Governments of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Norway.

On February 8, Intergovernmental Authority on Development leaders met during the African Union summit to discuss the peace process in South Sudan.  The Troika recognizes the serious efforts that the region has taken to unblock the current impasse and shares its frustration at the lack of progress.

With few days remaining until a power-sharing government is due to form, time has almost run out.  We encourage all parties to exercise the spirit of political compromise at the heart of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) in these final days.

We urge the government of South Sudan and all opposition parties to work together to resolve issues blocking the formation of an inclusive national unity government by the February 22 deadline.  A credible unity government needs to be inclusive as specified in the R-ARCSS and cannot be formed on the basis of unilateral action.  Specifically, we encourage all sides, including the government, to reach consensus on a way forward on the number of states.  Refusing to compromise and move forward undermines the agreement, risks the ceasefire, and erodes the trust of the public and the confidence of partners.

During this critical time, we urge all parties to continue to uphold and publicly commit to the permanent ceasefire, to instruct their forces to exercise restraint, and to avoid inflammatory statements.  It is of fundamental importance to avoid a return to armed conflict with devastating consequences for the people of South Sudan and for the region as a whole.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Department of State.